Truthfully, in My Soul
by nefermaatkare
Summary: Egyptian law dictates that Atem should marry a girl of his class. But is that what he really desires? Undergoing rewrite process
1. Chapter 1: Love as Decided By Others

**Chapter 1: Love as Decided by Others**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Princess Neferue is a character I have invented for this story. (Like the name? I discovered it one time when looking through a list of Egyptian names).

* * *

Author's Note:

I know that when it comes to Yu-Gi-Oh!, there is a debate as to whether or not the pharaoh's name is "Atem" or "Atemu". For this fan fiction, I will use "Atemu" instead of "Atem" to refer the pharaoh. This is because the name "Atemu" is more phonetically correct in the Egyptian language.

Also, you will notice that Mana refers to Atemu as "ouji-sama", which means "prince" in Japanese. In the anime shows, she has a habit of calling him by that title instead of "pharaoh". Okay, enough said. On to the story.

* * *

In the past, when kings and queens ruled the land, the marriage life for royals was like placing one's fate in the hands of others. Marriages were arranged between soon-to-be rulers, often for political reasons. Love was no consideration.

Atemu raised his right hand to his forehead, much like what one does when a headache occurs. He remembered the arrangement his father made during the childhood years. _An arranged marriage_. Atemu hated the idea, but that seemed to be the fate of almost every royal in the world. It seemed that those of the upper class were never allowed to have a say in who they choose to love.

The pharaoh tried his best to see the bright side of this situation. Neferue, his fiancée, was, as he was told, a very beautiful girl, gorgeous face, nice figure, seemingly perfect in everyway, shape, and form. She was supposedly one of the most awe-striking girls in the world, like something only lovers dream of, and all the other rulers of the world envied him for he was to be wed to her.

He had only seen her once, when he was a child. On a setup "play date", he met her for the first time.

(BEGINNING OF FLASHBACK)

"_My son, I would like you to meet someone," his father spoke._

_Atemu, about six years old, looked at his father, then looked at the girl standing a couple of yards from him. The girl looked like any five year old girl. She had on a plain linen dress that reached down midway between her knees and ankles. A small crown hugged her head, which was thick with straight, silky ebony hair. "Um, hello," the girl spoke. "My name is Neferue."_

_How odd that the first part of her name, "nefer", means "beautiful". "Um, hello," Atemu spoke back. "My name is Atemu." A short silent pause ensued. "Uh, my father set us up on a playdate," the young price blurted to break the silence. "Do you want to go and play senet?" (Senet is an ancient Egyptian game similar to backgammon and checkers, if you must know). _

"_I guess," the girl replied back. And Atemu's father left them alone to play. _

_The prince and the princess began to play senet. Atemu was a brilliant game player and he kept winning game after game against the princess. _

_Neferue had always placed senet before back in her palace. Because she was a princess, everyone who played against her in her palace lost on purpose, so she always won. She was never used to losing. In fact, she absolutely hated it. So it was no surprise that she wanted to play something else when she lost for the fourteenth time in a row. _

"_Let's play something else," Neferue suggested to Atemu. "I don't want to play against a cheater." She looked kind of angry._

_Atemu was hurt however. "I'm not a cheater!" he stubbornly yelled out. "You're just a horrible player!" _

"_You ARE a cheater!" Neferue yelled back. "No one ever wins that many times in a row against me!" _

"_Then you've played against horrible people then," Atemu sharply replied back. "I'm NOT a cheater."_

_The princess got up, gave an indignant "Hmph!", then walked away. _

(END OF FLASHBACK)

_The princess wasn't a very nice girl to me when we first met_, Atemu thought. _She was kind of spoiled. _The young pharaoh then stood up from his chair and began to walk down the hall. He remembered the fact that his father had set up this marriage ages ago because it may help two otherwise rival families unite in harmony.

Atemu's thoughts were interrupted by the soft footsteps of someone skipping. "Ouji-sama!" a voice yelled out. Atemu turned around. It was Mana, his childhood friend, coming to greet him.


	2. Chapter 2: Remembering Little Mana

**Chapter Two: Remembering Little Mana**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

"Ouji-sama!" Mana continued to yell out as she skipped towards the pharaoh.

"Mana, you know you can get in trouble for saying that," Atemu began. "I'm not a prince anymore."

Mana just smiled back sweetly. "I know, but no one's here," she said with pique. "Besides, I don't think you mind. We're like family."

Atem nodded in agreement. She was right after all; both Mana and Atemu were close friends, so he didn't care if she called him "Prince" as opposed to the proper title of "Pharaoh". He had known her ever since they were young children. He remembered when he met her for the first time:

(BEGINNING OF FLASHBACK)

_Atemu was sitting in a room all alone, behind a desk full of spells and scrolls and textbooks of various sorts. He placed and rested his head on his right hand, bored. He didn't like his tutor, he didn't like his lessons, and most of all, he didn't like being alone. _

_Suddenly, the tutor came in. "My prince," the tutor began to say, "you are going to have a student coming here to learn and study magic with you." Upon this new news, Atemu's ears perked up. Then he looked at the doorway, and found a brown haired girl standing there. He could see that she was wearing a linen dress with a pleated skirt, and a linen cap covered her head. _

_The prince thought it was odd that this "student" was a girl; after all, most girls were not allowed to study magic. _

_The girl walked up to him with a happy attitude to her voice. "Hi! My name is Mana! What's your name?" the girl asked._

_Out of politeness, Atemu replied, "My name is Atemu."_

_The tutor was shocked. "Mana!" he cried out. "You should not address the prince like that. And you must address him by his title, not his name!"_

"_Oh," Mana softly said, looking slightly embarrassed. From that point on, Mana had decided to make it a point to address Atemu as "ouji-sama". _

(END OF FLASHBACK)

Atemu walked over to the balcony, where he could see his entire kingdom. This was the kingdom passed on to him by his father, and his father's father, and so on. He closed his eyes, reminiscing on the past, his childhood years, when the days were more carefree and he had more freedom to do whatever he wanted.

He opened his eyes again. "Mana," the pharaoh began, "do you remember the days when you and I used to sneak out of the palace at night just to play?"

Mana giggled. "Yes, of course I do," she replied. "I also remember the look on the guards faces when they found out you were missing from your room." She began laughing.

Atemu just smiled, then looked back outside. "It seems like I'll never get those days back," he sighed.

Mana noticed the pharaoh's downtrodden attitude. "Does this have to do something with that marriage of yours to Princess Neferue?" she asked politely. Atemu just nodded in embarrassment.

"I heard that she was supposedly one of the most beautiful girls in the world. Other rulers are envious of you for it," Mana replied. "Still, it doesn't sound fair to you. You're the pharaoh. Why can't you just marry who you want?"

"It's because it had been written down by my father and her father that we are to be wed. It was part of an agreement made a long time ago. I can't simply break my father's word, nor can she break his."

Mana was just trying to cheer the pharaoh up, much like a devoted sister tries to cheer up her dear brother during sad points in his life. She didn't agree with the idea either, for it sounded unfair, but this is what society dictated for him.


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting Neferue

**Chapter 3: Meeting Neferue**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

Suddenly, noticed a commotion outside. Looking down from the balcony, Atemu saw a carriage being pulled up to the palace by four white horses. The horses stopped at the palace gate. Out walked a beautiful girl in a white silk dress that reaches down to her ankles. A sheer cloth embraced her shoulders like a scarf. Her lips were touched up by red ochre (the ancient Egyptian form of lipstick), her soft and silky ebony hair scented in myrrh and lavender, her eyes laced in dark henna. _This must be Princess Neferue_, Atemu thought.

He could indeed see that this girl had become indeed beautiful as everyone said she would be. She had grown up to live to the meaning of the first part of her name. He decided to go down and meet her, just to be polite.

The pharaoh, followed by Mana, walked down the stairs to greet the new queen. She was now standing in the royal hall of the pharaoh, eagerly waiting to meet her future husband. When Atem finally got downstairs, they finally saw each other face to face in years.

"Um, hello," Atemu said; he really had no idea of what else to say.

Neferue just looked at the pharaoh. "I'm glad to meet you too, my pharaoh," she said sweetly and politlely. "I hope that you and I can get along well in the upcoming days."

_This isn't the Neferue I remember_, Atemu thought. _She was originally mean to me when we were little. Perhaps she has changed much since I saw her last. _

Neferue then looked at the pharaoh with her eyes, with a kind of loving look to them. Atemu noticed that her eyes were a dark rich brown, a set of two mesmerizing disks that emanated from her face. But something about those eyes bothered him. It was said that that peering into one's eyes was like staring through the window of a person's soul, and when he stared into her eyes, he felt that something was wrong. It felt almost like a feeling of emptiness.

Still, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In the meantime, Mana was watching these events unfold in front of her. It seemed like only yesterday that she and the prince were playing in the palace garden. Now those days were gone, the pharaoh had to take care of a kingdom, he was to be wed in the ensuing months. _Time travels quickly when your friend is someone who is forced to grow up fast_, Mana thought.


	4. Chapter 4: Dreaming of a Wedding

**Chapter 4: Dreaming of a Wedding**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

Atemu just quietly led the princess to her new bedroom. It was outlined in beautiful red and gold embroidered silk. Lovely paintings decorated the wall. There was some nicely designed furniture in the room as well, imported from faraway kingdoms. As for her bed, it was huge, covered by white linen hanging overhead to serve as a canopy. It was most certainly a room fit for a queen.

"I, uh, I hope you like your new room," Atemu said.

Neferue just gazed around, marveling at the way the room was designed. "This," she began to ask, "is all mine?"

"Um, yes," Atemu said, not knowing what else to say.

Neferue just looked at Atemu "I suppose I'll see you later for dinner," she then whispered, and walked out the door, supposedly to the garden.

Atemu walked back to the throne room, where a bunch of nobles and upper class people (those closely associated with the pharaoh) were waiting for him. As soon as he entered, they surrounded him, harping on about his fiancée:

"Isn't she beautiful, my pharaoh?"

"She is most certainly fit for a queen."

"My pharaoh, I'm sure she will make a lovely wife."

Atemu, however, didn't want to hear more of it. Looking at her seemed to be unfulfilling, and there was an unusual emptiness to her.

And right now, he just wanted to go to bed and rest.

Atemu was on his lounge chair, taking a small nap. He was dreaming about his wedding day.

(BEGINNING OF DREAM)

_It was a sunny spring day. All the flowers were in bloom everywhere. Both he and Neferue were standing in front of a ceremonial altar. Mahado, being one of the most trusted High Priests of the royal court, was the one presiding over the ceremony. Everything seemed to go normally, just as anything would do in a traditional Egyptian wedding. _

_Atemu had on some of his best royal clothing, and he wore a nemes (traditional head cloth worn by royalty) to keep down his otherwise fluffy head of hair. Neferue wore a beautiful white dress that reached down to her ankles, and she adorned herself with some of the finest jewelry available. On top of her head was a sheer white veil outlined in the freshest water lilies just recently picked from the water's edge. The veil normally covered her face, as it has been traditionally done in the past; the veil was not to be flipped over until the marriage ceremony had finished taking place._

_Then came the time to flip the veil over her head. The second that Atemu turned the veil over, something changed. It wasn't Neferue who was underneath the veil…it was Mana! _

"_Ma-Mana!" Atemu said in shock. "Wha-What's going on?"_

_Mana just smiled back at the pharaoh. "Aren't you happy to see me?" she asked. _

_Atemu was still dumbfounded by what had occurred. "I…I thought I was marrying Princess Neferue," he remarked. _

"_Wouldn't you be more happier with me?" she asked in her usual upbeat attitude._

_Atemu didn't know what to say. He then turned out to the crowd. The people didn't seem to realize what just happened; it was as if they did not notice. Then, something unusual caught Atemu's eye. The was a man in the back dressed in royal clothing, with a nemes on top of his head. Atemu strained to see who it was…To his surprise, it was his father!_

_Atemu tried to see hid father's face. It looked unusually stoic, almost emotionless. Atemu wondered if this hard look on his father's face meant disappointment or something else. He wanted to up to his father and talk to him. _

_Then the world around Atemu began to shatter like a mirror. He found himself standing in a space of loneliness and emptiness, while the pieces of his life floated around him freely._

(END OF DREAM)

Atemu woke up with a start. _That was a very unusual dream_, he thought. He shook his head, as if trying to get the dream out of his thoughts and mind.

_That's all. It was just a dream_, Atemu kept repeating to himself over and over again. He tried to reestablish the fact that he had to marry Princess Neferue because it was his father's wish for him to do so. But, the dream still lingered in his mind, and he was unable to shake the dream off. _Why is this happening to me?_ Atemu thought. _What does my dream mean?_


	5. Chapter 5: The Truth of a Dream

**Chapter 5: The Truth of a Dream – The Wings of Destiny**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character. I do not own the Egyptian gods and goddesses mentioned in this chapter.

* * *

The dream still lingered on inside Atemu's mind. It continued to bother him. The more he began to think about the dream, the more pressured and stressed he felt.

He looked up to the sky. It was a starry night. Atemu remembered how his father used to tell him how the gods and goddesses of Egypt would be constantly watching over the kingdom, even if they couldn't be seen. He wondered if any of them were watching him right now.

Suddenly, an idea popped right into Atemu's head. _What if I asked one of the gods or goddesses for help?_ he thought. _They control my fate; certainly they could provide me an answer._

He raced quickly to the temple where the people prayed. It was late at night, so no one was there but him. He was all alone in the temple. Any step he took into the dark corridors echoed throughout the walls.

Now, the next thing to do was to pick one of the gods or goddesses to ask. But which one?

Atemu walked down the corridor and looked at the various statues of Egyptian deities. There was Amon-Re, the god of the sun and of life. There was Osiris, the god of Spirits. There was Horus, the protector of the sun, who controlled the passing of day and night. There were various different beings to choose from, but none of them seemed appropriate for his request.

Finally, at the end of the corridor was a statue of a beautiful goddess. She was unlike the other gods and goddesses for she had beautiful wings for her arms. Atemu looked up at the statue and stared at the misty wan face of the Ma'at, the goddess of Truth. _This is the one to ask about my dream_, Atemu thought.

Atemu knelt in front of the statue to pray. _Please, Godess Ma'at, the one who upholds and protects truth and honesty, please tell me what my dream means. _

After his little prayer, he stood up and proceeded to leave. He would have to wait to see if Ma'at would provide an answer. Oddly enough, as he reached the temple entrance, he noticed something fall to the ground. A feather was descending from the sky, and it rested itself at the pharaoh's feet.

Atemu looked up. There wasn't a single bird in sight. _So, then where did the feather come from?_

He then picked up the feather. Perhaps the feather was a sign of good grace.

One of the priestess, Isis was walking nearby. Her duties called her to take care of the shrine. She noticed the pharaoh at the entranceway, holding a feather in his hand. She wondered what he was doing outside so late at night. She decided to talk to him.

"My pharaoh, why are you out so late?" Isis remarked. "You should be resting."

"Thank you for your concern," Atemu replied, "but I cannot sleep with this disturbing dream still lingering in my head. I had asked one of the Egyptian goddesses for help."

A puzzled look spread across Isis's face. "A dream, my pharaoh?" she asked. "Perhaps fate had led me to you, for I can be the one to interpret your dream."


	6. Chapter 6: The Truth of a Dream 2

**Chapter 6: The Truth of a Dream Now Revealed**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character. I do not own the Egyptian goddess Ma'at. I do not own the idea of "Prt en Hmw"; it is an actual item of Egyptian history which I have adopted for this story.

* * *

As suggested by Isis, the pharaoh told of his dream. However, he failed to mention about Mana, who he described only as a girl he once knew well.

"My pharaoh, your dream disturbs me," Isis told Atemu. "Your dream means that you desire to be with another girl, perhaps one that your father my not approve of."

"I fear that it is not just my father who will not approve of it. It is that of the people as well," Atemu began. "You know very well that someone of my status is to not be seen with those supposedly deemed lower than myself."

An unusual silence ensued. Then Atemu just hastily bid Isis a parting message and left in the direction of the garden.

It was still nighttime, and Atemu began to wander around, as if to search for an answer, even though the answer was really to be found within himself. He took out the feather that he found. He then began to recall of the tales found in "Prt en Hmw" ("Coming Forth by Day" in Egyptian) a scroll depicting the journey of the soul when the body had deceased; one of the tales described in this scroll mentioned of a feather belonging to Ma'at. Perhaps the feather in his hand also belonged to the fabled goddess?

Suddenly, the feather flew out of his hand. It landed a few feet away from Atemu. For some reason, he felt compelled to go and pick it up, so, he walked over to the feather. It seemed the breeze picked up again, because the feather flew off again. A short cat and mouse chase ensued between the pharaoh and the feather. _Oh, this is just ridiculous_, Atemu thought. _I'm chasing a feather and I don't know why._

Finally, by the wading pool, Atemu managed to grab the feather. A figure, enshrouded in the shadows, was present there, and the figure caught his eye.

Atemu strained to see who it was that stood by the wading pool. To his greatest surprise, it was Mana!

Mana noticed the pharaoh as well. "Oh, ouji-sama," she remarked. "It's you."

"Um, hello Mana," Atemu replied back. A short paused ensued, giving him enough time to collect his thoughts. "Mana, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just looking at the stars," she replied.

"Again?" Atemu asked.

"Yes," Mana answered. "Remember, we used to look at the stars together when we were little." Then a somewhat sad, wan face descended upon the little magician girl. "It's a shame we can't do that more often. You're much too busy being a pharaoh to simply have a good time with friends."

Atemu felt uncomfortable by Mana's statement. He also felt uncomfortable in Mana's presence. Here, in front of him was the girl from his dream, the dream that now haunted and resonated in his mind.

Mana looked at Atemu. _Something is bothering him_, she thought. _It's as if he almost doesn't want to see me here._ She decided to ask what was wrong. "Ouji-sama?" she began to say. "Why do you look as if you do not wish me here?"

Atemu then looked at the sky, then at her. "If you promise not to tell another soul, I shall tell you what's bothering me," he answered. And he then proceeded to tell her the dream, this time, mentioning the fact of her presence in it.

As Atemu spoke, Mana became worried, almost distraught. Each word, each sentence, each fact seemed to imply feeling towards her. Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore and wanted him to stop.

"Ouji-sama," she interrupted, "I don't want to hear anymore." She ran off to her dormitory.

As she ran, thought began to swim in her head. _No, it's not right for him to say something like that; he's the pharaoh and he's supposed to be with the princess. But, it's not fair if he doesn't love Neferue. Why can't he be with who he wants? No! The laws say that he's not supposed to be with those lower than himself. Oh, by Ra, what am I supposed to do?!_

Unbeknownst to Atemu and Mana, another person was watching this sight take place as well. It was Neferue, who was now seething with anger.


	7. Chapter 7: Magic Love

**Chapter 7: Magic Love**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

Mana just lay on the bed in her dormitory. The conflicting thoughts were still swimming inside her head.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in," Mana replied. Neferue came stomping in, an angry look spread across her face.

"There is no way a magician girl could have stolen the pharaoh's heart!" she screamed. "You harem girl!"

Mana was sorely offended by the remark. "What?! I am not a harem girl!" she answered back.

"You might as well be one," Neferue remarked in rage. "Here I am, destined to be a queen, to restore my family's honor, to gain all the power that I ever desired, and yet you come and barge in!"

"If I'm a harem girl, then you are nothing but a stingy, selfish jackal!" Mana screamed back.

A pause ensued, much like that of a cooling off period in which fiery heads take time too recollect and think before talking. Neferue then spoke again: "If I EVER see you with my fiancé, then you shall experience all of my rage upon your head!" Neferue then walked out, slamming the door.

Mana then got scared. She wondered what Neferue meant by "you shall experience all of my rage upon you head". She most certainly didn't want to find out.

The next day, Mana did her best to avoid contact with Atemu. Any task that involved seeing him she averted as much as she could. She pretty much just hid away in the garden all day.

She stood by the wading pool again, and stared at her reflection in the water, full of clarity. Suddenly, she felt unusually sad, and she felt as if she wanted to cry. She knew why she was so sullen, but she could not describe it in words; she just felt miserable, and now her soul seemed to be drowning in sorrow.

Mana closed her eyes and tears fell from them, descending into the crystal clear waters below. Then she felt a hand softly touch her shoulder. "Mana, are you alright?" a voice asked.

Mana recognized the voice. _Oh, please don't let it be who I think it is._ Startled, she turned around, and to her upmost horror, it was Atemu.

She proceeded to run away, but Atemu got a firm grip on her arm, so she barely got any distance.

"Oh, please just leave me alone!" she cried out. "Let me go!" She struggled to wrestle herself out of the pharaoh's grip, but to no avail; he just tightened his grip.

"I'm not going to let you go until you tell me why you have been avoiding me all day," Atemu answered.

Mana then stopped struggling. "I…I can't tell you," she replied back. "Just, please, let go of my arm." She wanted to cry again.

"Is this because of Neferue?" Atemu asked softly. "I followed you last night and saw what happened between you and her."

Mana just stood still, somewhat shocked. "You… you followed me?" she asked lightly.

"Well, yes," Atemu replied back. "You ran off crying and I wanted to make sure that you were alright…Clearly, you're not."

Mana didn't know what to think of it. Those confusing feelings came back inside her head again, those same confusing feelings that flooded her mind the night before, when he told her of his dream.

Atemu's face grew soft. "Mana," he began, "I car for you and I worry about you. Please, do not run away from me." The he raised his hand to the side of her face and placed it lovingly on her cheek.

Mana's eyes grew wide with wonder. Then, it seemed as if her hand began to move on her own, to overlap his hand; her hand then just rested there. She then closed her eyes. His hand felt nice and warm against her face. Then her body appeared to react on its own will. And Atemu's seemed to do the same.

The space between them gradually began to diminish, and neither of them seemed to know why. Their necks just veered in closer, shrinking the gap even more. Finally, the space between the two had disappeared, and Mana felt Atemu's lips softly press against hers.

Their souls seemed to fly as they met, and it was as if they could caress the sky. It seemed like time stood still for them while their spirits and hearts mingled together. It was as if like magic encapsulated the two in their own precious world.


	8. Chapter 8: Separation

**Chapter 8: Separation**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

Then, after what seemed an eternity, Atemu and Mana just separated from each other. A mix between a horrible feeling and a euphoric feeling ensued.

They stood still, looking at each other, a mix of love, wonder, fear, apprehension blended in their minds.

A short pause ensued. Then, Mana spoke up: "Ouji-sama, what's going to happen now?" she asked in a whisper.

Atemu then looked sullen. "I do not know. I am aware of what society dictates of me and it tells me to only marry a princess." Then he closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. "I don't care what anyone else says. It doesn't stop me from loving you."

He leaned in close and gave Mana a quick kiss on the cheek and abruptly left her.

Mana stood there, almost in awe of what had taken place. Then, she quickly recalled Neferue's words to her the day before. _I do hope that Neferue was not there to see that_, she thought. Luckily for her, she wasn't.

* * *

Mana had decided to linger around the palace walls until the sun went down. Soon, everything was bathed in a dark and dusky color caused the blanketing sky above. Shadows scrawled up against the walls, actually, against anything that was outside at the time.

She looked up and stared at the guards posted on the top of the walls. _There are an awful lot of guards out today_, she thought. The presence of the guards reminded her of the time when she and Atemu used to sneak out when they were little. She would use the freeze spell on then and they would creep towards the back gate to make their daring escape of temporary freedom.

Then, Mana saw a cloaked figure scampering across the palace grounds, headed towards the horse stables, particularly the one where the pharaoh kept his horse. The shadows hid the figure's face.

Mana became anxious. _Who was this figure, and why was he headed towards the stables?_ she wondered. _Could he be an intruder?_ In her hastiness, she sent over a blast of magic in the figure's direction.

It was a direct hit, and the figure temporarily collapsed from the shock of the attack. Mana ran over to the figure, and demanded him to give up his name.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here sneaking around the palace?" she beckoned.

The figure slowly got up and slid off the hood, revealing his face. Mana looked at him in horror. It was Atemu although she found it strange that he was dressed plainly instead of the usual royal garb. "GAAH! Ouji-sama! I _am_ so sorry!" she cried out.

"You are forgiven," Atemu began, "but next time, try to figure out who you're attacking first before you attack again."

"Heh..." Mana gave off a nervous laugh. "So, what are you doing out here anyway, sneaking around you own palace?" she asked him.

Atemu sighed. "I'm just going out to clear my head," he said. He looked up at the guards overhead, who did not notice the commotion that had taken place a few minutes ago. "You know, even if I am the pharaoh, I cannot leave the palace without an escort." He stared back at Mana. "I just wanted to leave this place so I can truly be alone by myself, no escort, no guards, nobody to bother me."

"You may need my help, then," Mana told him. "You can sneak around the palace all you want, but there is no way you can get out without the guards noticing."

Atemu then mounted his horse. "You know," he said, "you're right." Mana then hopped on the horse, behind Atemu, and as he sped towards the gate, Mana used her freeze spell on the guards, just as she did during her childhood years, and they escaped out into the desert, a trail of whispering sand behind them.

There they were, in the midst of sand dunes, separated from the kingdom, riding into the desert, riding into what was supposedly the unknown.


	9. Chapter 9: Riyah

**Chapter 9: Riyah**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character. The town of Riyah has been invented by me.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Neferue screamed in anger. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOT HERE?!"

A servant stood kneeling and shivering in terror at the girl's feet. "He's, he's not here. He must have gone off."

Neferue just growled in frustration.

Isis, who was nearby, watching from the balcony, could see what was going on. Mahado then walked by and saw Isis staring over the balcony. Isis alerted Mahado of this recent discovery.

"Mahado," Isis began, "have you heard of what's going on? The pharaoh has gone missing."

"I believe my best student, Mana, is responsible for his escape," Mahado told her. He then sighed in frustration. "I found the guards frozen just a few minutes ago."

Isis then knew what probably had ensued, but she just kept quiet…for now.

* * *

The horse finally slowed down and reached an oasis town. Atemu dismounted from his horse, then helped Mana down. Mana looked around the oasis town. It was a nice and clean place, very well kept, and not to mention very well off, most likely because of it's location by a trading route. The sights, sounds, and smells of the town were captivating. _But what was this place?_ "Um, ouji-sama, where are we?" she asked.

Atemu smiled at her. "This place is the oasis town of Riyah," he told her.

_Riyah?_ Mana wondered. _I thought it was only a rumor that this town existed. _Mana looked around the place. It was incredible. "How…how did you know that this town existed?" she questioned Atemu.

"I didn't," he answered her. "I have only heard rumors and tales of an oasis town that was well off enough to be autonomous in its own right, and far away enough to be isolated from other neighboring kingdoms." He stared off into the streets of the town. "One day, I found a trader who was willing to tell me how to get here. Sure enough, the trader was right."

Mana stared off into the streets of Riyah as well. "So, you decided to come here to be alone."

"Yes…" Atemu trailed off. "But, isn't it strange that you're here with me? We might as well be alone in this town together."

Mana then giggled and grabbed Atemu's arm. "Oh, can we _please_ go around while were here?" she asked with pique. "I _love_ exploring new places like this." Then they walked through the town of Riyah together and saw what this place had to offer.


	10. Chapter 10: A New Beginning

**Chapter 10: A New Beginning**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

At the end of the day, Mana and Atemu stood just outside the edge of town, staring at the midnight sky, just as they have always done years before in the past. 

Mana head rested on Atemu's left shoulder. Then, she looked up and saw Atemu's face. There seemed to be angst in it. "Ouji-sama, what's wrong?" she asked.

Atemu stared back at the young magician girl. "Mana," he began, "I feel as if I do not want to return back to Egypt. It had gotten too much for me to go back."

Mana stared back at Atemu. It sounded surprising to her. Yet she could almost understand why he didn't wish to return. There were too many duties, too many expectations, and perhaps the most pressuring, too many restrictions on what he can and cannot do.

But… running away meant that he would be all alone.

"Ouji-sama?" Mana began, "if you decide to stay in Riyah, won't you become lonely?"

"I realize that," Atemu replied back. The he took her left hand. Mana suddenly started to blush. The heart, after all, is on the left side of the body, and it seemed that he wanted to get closer to her heart. She then looked up, and saw that his eyes were glassy, and they revealed that he was, indeed, lonely inside. "Mana," Atemu began to say, "I know that I will be lonely all by myself…That's why I want you to be with me."

Mana's eyes then opened wide in shock. Her mind began to swim in confusing thoughts again: _What? Run away? I…I can't just run away from Egypt, my hometown. But…why do I feel compelled to stay here?_

Atemu could sense the confusion on Mana's face. He wanted her to stay with him, but he did not want to force her into something she did not want. "Mana, I hate to see you distraught like this," he said softly to her. He let go of her hand. "If you feel that you must return to Egypt, then go ahead, if it makes you happy." He turned around and proceeded to go back to Riyah. He then turned his head to stare back at her for what may be the last time. "If, at any time, you ever need me, know that you will find me here."

Mana watched as Atemu headed back in the direction of the oasis town.

* * *

Atemu stood inside an empty house on a brand new morning. It was a small place, one might say it was tiny, even, but very homely. It would have been comforting even, but its bareness seemed to reflect the fact that he was alone. 

He had managed to acquire the house on his own, but it seemed useless now, considering that he would be by himself. He decided to walk outside where he could at least be in the company of people passing by.

Atemu headed to the doorway. He looked and saw that there was someone there blocking the entrance. The figure was enshrouded in shadows, caused by the light of the sun shining from behind the person, whoever it may be. He squinted his eyes in a vain attempt to see who it was.

To his utmost surprise and joy, it was Mana!

Atemu almost couldn't believe she was here. "Mana!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I…I thought you went back to Egypt!"

Mana look at him with her aquamarine eyes, and they seemed as if to plead for something. "Please, tell me truthfully. I need to know if you love me," she requested.

Atemu was about to answer but Mana interrupted him. "Please, I need to know in order to make up my mind." She was horribly upset, confused, directionless. She desperately needed to know where she was going in life, and only Atemu could provide the answer she needed.

Atemu walked over to her and placed his hand on the side of her face, just as he did before. He already knew his answer. In fact, he already knew the answer ever since he had known her. It was an answer, a feeling suppressed for a long time because of the dictates of society. But now, he was free to tell her how he felt.

"Mana," he said as he convincingly could, "I sincerely do love you. Ma'at ka ("Truthfully, in my soul")".

Mana just stared back at him, happy that she had her answer. _There's no point in going back_, she thought. _There would be no one else who would love me as well as he can. _

She then felt his arms wrap around her. That warm feeling now encapsulated her, and she became overjoyed to stay with him. And Atemu thought it wonderful for her to be in his arms; the loneliness began to fade away, replaced by a feeling of bliss.


	11. Chapter 11: A Dilemma Compounding

A little thank you and dedication to the person Sinister Voices, who's review made me laugh and spurred me on to continue this story, despite my recent writer's block. (Sorry for the late updates!)

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Dilemma Compounding**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue is my character.

* * *

All the loyalists, all the followers, all the workers, all the servants of the palace were scuttling here and there, trying to look for any presence of the pharaoh Atemu. They searched the various corridors of the palace. No room was left undisturbed. However, their search was to no avail. Indeed, the pharaoh was gone, missing from his own palace. 

Neferue soon became fuming mad at the thought of Atemu gone. _I was so close to gaining the power I truly deserve_, she thought. She couldn't stand the idea of having her desires crumble because of such an insurrection. She almost wanted to tear her hair out.

A servant scuttled nearby. It was the same servant she had screamed at before when she found out that Atemu was nowhere to be found. Wanting to know any recent information, she called out to him. "You there," she declared. "Is there any recent news on the pharaoh's whereabouts?"

The poor servant was still nervous by Neferue's anger. "Well," the servant stammered out, "I-I-It seems th-that he is not around the palace. I-It also seems that the magician in training, Mana, is-"

"Is what?" she asked furiously. The mention of Mana just made her temper rise.

"…is missing as well," the servant continued.

_So, they ran off together. I'm not going to let that stop me._ Neferue then dismissed the servant, who was more than happy to leave.

_I'm not going to let her get away with this._ She was going to go out and search for him. She sped off to her room, grabbed her long and dark cloak, and flung it over her shoulders, in preparation to leave.

The she ran over to the stables to look for her horse. Some of the workers of the palace saw this, and they wondered why she was preparing to leave.

"My lady," they asked, "where are you going?"

"I am going out to find the pharaoh," she scoffed. "I am not going to rely on ditty little news updates to determine his whereabouts." Without wanting to listen to the reason of those around her, she swiftly rode off.

She was determined to find him, no matter long the journey may be.

The question was, where is he?

* * *

Isis watched from the balcony the conversation between the servant and Neferue. She could tell that Neferue came to same conclusion as she did: Atemu and Mana must have run off together to someplace where they could be together. 

A look of worry and concern spread across Isis's face as Neferue ran off to find the pharaoh. She didn't know what to do. She was only one who knew of the pharaoh's dream, but she wasn't sure whether or not to alert someone.

Mahado noticed Isis's face. It looked as if she was hiding some sort of secret. He decided to find out. "Isis," he began to ask, "is there something wrong?"

She felt a bit shocked by this question, but tried to do her best to hide her knowledge of the pharaoh's dream. "It is nothing," Isis answered. "I am just concerned for the pharaoh's safety." She swiftly left, the events and dilemma of the day compounding in her head.


	12. Chapter 12: A Dream Under Threat

**Chapter 12: A Dream Under Threat**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. Neferue and Riyah are my own ideas.

* * *

It was midnight. The sky was clear and had adorned herself with sparkling stars and a sliver of moon.

Just a few miles outside the edge of the oasis town of Riyah, Atemu and Mana sat together in the sand, basking in the moonlight glow. Their eyes looked up, fixed to the infinite sky.

Mana was the most fascinated with the sky, for the sky had no boundaries, no borders to hold it back. Even better, no one owned the sky, no one controlled the sky. Often times, she wished that she and Atemu could just sprout wings so they could fly forever free above the soft clouds. She wished that the desert breeze could just pick them up and caress those wings, perhaps take them to someplace where they were free to love each other without restriction.

She began to feel sleepy, so she rested her weary head on Atemu's shoulder. Atemu picked up his hand and began to stroke her hair. He let his fingers get tangled in those brown locks of hers while her mind drifted off in a dream.

He thought it was odd that it was Mana who was sleeping lightly, yet he felt almost certain that he was the one who was dreaming. After all, it was not so long ago that he was at the palace ruling over an entire kingdom, and a powerful one at that. Now, he was out here in the desert, gazing at the sky with Mana, just as he used to do so long ago.

_If this is indeed a dream_, Atemu thought, _then I pray that it does not end.

* * *

_

Meanwhile, along the Nile River, Neferue's horse picked up speed. A cloud of dust sprung from behind the horse's heels.

She had been searching various districts and various towns throughout the kingdom of Egypt, but to no avail. None of the towns seemed to be harboring Atemu. Upon the edge of the kingdom, she halted her horse and looked to the moon above.

The crescent shape of the moon seemed to form a smile. Neferue, however, interpreted it as a sneer of some sort, as if the moon wanted to make fun of her because she was so close to gaining power, only to lose it in the end.

She dismounted her horse and walked over to the river. The moon had provided enough light for her to see her reflection in the river's waters.

_I just don't get it_, Neferue thought to herself. _Where could he be?_ _He wouldn't actually leave his own kingdom, would he?_

She looked up from her reflection and stared at the sandy reflection, her back now towards the river. _If he did leave his own kingdom, perhaps he didn't get too far off._ She began to recall rumors of the oasis town of Riyah, told to her by her own father, but, like most other people, she only thought the town was mere fantasy. _Still, it wouldn't hurt to survey the area before giving up the search. _

Neferue quickly remounted her horse and sped off again into the distance.

It didn't take too long to find what she was searching for. As the horse resumed its normal speed, she noticed a shadow looming in the distance. She motioned her horse in the direction of the shadow.

As she neared the distant shadow, it gradually grew bigger and assumed the shape of a town. The fallacity of Riyah began to disappear in front of her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13: A Pharaoh Found

**Chapter 13: A Pharaoh Found**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! character belong to Kazuki Takahshi. I own the character Neferue and I own the town of Riyah.

* * *

An expansive search seemed to pay off for Neferue. She had found the hidden oasis town of Riyah.

As she neared the town, she noticed two figures sitting out in the sand. They were a significant distance away from her, located on the opposite edge of the settlement, so they didn't notice her.

Neferue squinted at the two figures to see who they were. It didn't take long for her to determine that this was the indeed Atemu and Mana: the pharaoh's hair and the magician girl's cap were a blatant giveaway.

_So, this is where you're hiding, pharaoh_, Neferue said to herself silently. _And I told you, little Mana, to stay away from him. You're nothing more than a concubine._ And she watched the two carefully before plotting her next move.

* * *

The next morning, the sun was bright, as usual. Rays of light began to flood room where Mana lay sleeping lightly, and they began to warm her face, waking her up. With a stretch and a yawn, she got out of bed and proceeded gaily to Atemu's room to wake him up.

But, as she opened the door to his bedroom, he was not there. She noticed that the bed was empty. Suddenly, the whinnying of a horse could be heard from outside. She ran off to the window to see what was going on.

She saw Atemu outside, on his horse, and…he was riding away?!

_Ouji-sama_, Mana wondered, _where are you going?_ She headed towards the front door, only to notice someone blocking the pathway. A shocked gasp fell from her mouth…the one blocking her doorway was Neferue.

"What…what are you doing here?" Mana asked. "And what have you done to him?"

Neferue just smiled with deceit. "Oh, nothing," she said with a smirk. "I just made him come to his senses so that he will come back to the palace. As for you, I'm feeling a bit merciful today, so I won't do anything to you. All I'm going to say is: Don't bother to come back because he doesn't want you anymore."

Before Mana could speak out, Neferue walked off with dramatic flair to join Atemu's journey to Egypt.

_You're lying_, Mana thought. _I don't know what you did to Atemu, but I intend to reverse it. _Despite the threats from Neferue, she still decided to proceed to Egypt anyway and find out what's going on.


	14. Chapter 14: Return to the Palace

**Chapter 14: Return to the Palace**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! character belong to Kazuki Takahshi. I own the character Neferue.

* * *

Mana finally reached the palace gates at long last. The size of the royal entrance loomed above her. Despite the fact that she had faced this entrance so many times before, she still stood in fear and awe of it all.

She proceeded to run inside to the palace to find Atemu, but soon, two guards appeared and blocked her path with their long and sharp spears.

"Hey, no one's allowed inside the palace without permission from the pharaoh," one of the guards declared.

_What?_ Mana was surprised. She was always allowed inside and outside of the palace before. "But…but I'm a student of the palace!" she told the guard. "Aren't I allowed inside?"

"Yes, well," the second guard began, "were not happy with you using the freeze spell on us. How do we know that you're not going to freeze us again?" A nervous embarrassment fell across the young girl's face.

"Let her pass," a voice declared. Mana turned around to see the priestess Isis.

"Um, yes, of course," the guards stammered. They had to yield to the important members of the pharaoh's high court.

"Oh, thank you Isis!" Mana yelled out, and she proceeded to enter inside the palace.

"Mana, wait!" Isis called out, but it was too late; Mana had already left to find Atemu.

* * *

Mana ran from corridor to corridor, looking for Atemu. It didn't take her long. As she ran across the courtyard, she noticed him standing on the balcony. He was dresses in the traditional royal style, making him look powerful and majestic in nature.

The balcony was directly connected to the royal bedchamber, so she decided that she had better hurry there. But, then, she noticed the curtain behind Atemu ruffle. Neferue had stepped out into the open and clung onto the pharaoh's left arm.

Mana watched as Atemu turned to Neferue. She watched as he picked up his hand and began to stroke Neferue's hair. _What is he doing?_ Mana wondered.

Mana watched as Atemu let his hands get tangled in Neferue's raven black hair. Then, he leaned in close. It was as if he were possessed. _But…he's in love with me_, Mana thought.

Mana watched as his lips fell upon those of Neferue's.

She almost couldn't take it anymore. Her heart, nearly broken, told her race upstairs. She went as quickly as she could, as fast as her feet could carry her. It was only took a few minutes to reach the pharaoh's bedchamber, but, for, her, it felt like an eternity.

Finally, she managed to reached the chamber door. She opened it and went inside.


	15. Chapter 15: Forget and Heartbreak

**Chapter 15: Forget and Heartbreak**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. The character of Neferue belongs to me.

* * *

Mana burst into the royal chamber, where she saw Neferue still clinging to Atemu's arm. "Ojui-sama!" she cried out.

Atemu just stared at her in shock and disbelief. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "no one is allowed in this part of the palace unless I say so."

"But…you always allowed me here…" Mana trailed off. She couldn't understand why he was being so harsh on her. "Why are you doing this…?" Tears began to well up in her eyes.

But nothing seemed to stir in Atemu about this upset girl who was standing in front of him. In fact, he failed to even recognize her. "Who _are_ you?" Atemu demandingly asked.

Mana became stunned. "Ouji-sama! Don't you remember me?" she cried out. "We were once the best of friends! And you even told me you loved me! Ouji-sama, what's wrong with you?"

Before Mana could continue, Neferue spoke out. "This girl is just a lowly student of Mahado's," she whispered in the pharaoh's ear. "She means nothing to you."

"Ouji-sama, don't listen to her!" Mana screamed out.

Atemu got angry at this inappropriate address. He was a pharaoh, after all, not a prince. And, being unable to recognize her, he thought that Mana was some eccentric and bizarre girl that didn't know what she was talking about.

He called in the guards. "Take this girl away," he ordered.

"Yes, my pharaoh," the guards answered. They dragged Mana by her arms and proceeded to remove her from the room.

_What, no!_ Mana felt her heart shatter. "Ouji-sama, please don't do this to me!" she pleaded between sobs. She then stared into the face of Neferue, who seemed to be awfully pleased at this little excursion that took place.

As Mana was being dragged away, she began to feel sullen. Neferue had managed to take Atemu away from her, and now, through manipulation, she had managed to take her freedom away as well.

It is said in Egyptian mythology that the soul could fly because has its own pair of wings. For Mana, it felt as if her wings were clipped so that she couldn't fly anymore.

* * *

There, in the darkness of a small and damp prison chamber, Mana huddled herself into a corner. She felt the shadows crawl around her, as if wanting to coax her into a deeper sadness.

Why, ouji-sama, why?

Tears were descending from her aquamarine eyes. They fell onto the stone floor. She tried to wipe the tears away, but her crying continued, so she could not stop.

Suddenly, a creaking of the prison gates grabbed her attention. She looked up. There, in front of her, was Isis.

"Thank goodness the guards did not beat you up badly," Isis said as she opened the prison door further to let Mana out.

Mana was overjoyed to see Isis there, and was even more ecstatic when she was released from the prison chamber. However, Atemu's behavior still lingered on her mind. "Isis, I need to go see the pharaoh again," she said. She proceeded to leave, but then the priestess stopped her.

"Mana, wait," Isis started. "I'm afraid that Neferue had used some sort of mind control hex on the pharaoh."

_Huh? Mind control?_ "Is this why he didn't know who I was?" Mana asked worriedly.

Isis nodded with dismay. "I am afraid so," she sadly replied. "Mahado noticed it too, but he can't find a way to break this spell because it is a magic with which he is unfamiliar with."

"But, Isis," Mana began, "we have to try and find a way to break this hold."

Isis's head moved in agreement. "That is why I came to you. You are one of Mahado's best students, so perhaps you can find a way to break this curse of hers."

* * *

**-Okay, this is how far I have gotten with the story. I will TRY to update as soon as I can.**

* * *


	16. Chapter 16: The Feather of Truth

**Chapter 16: The Feather of Truth**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I do not own the Egyptian goddess Ma'at or the stories associated with her. The character of Neferue belongs to me.

* * *

Downstairs in the sacred inner sanctuary, Mana, Mahado, and Isis surrounded themselves with hundreds of papyrus scrolls. Each scroll denoted various spells of sorts. All three were hoping to find some kind of spell that might be compatible enough to counter Neferue's spell. But their search seemed to be in vain: Neferue's use of a different kind of magic made the quest seem impossible to complete.

Frustration grew over her head. Scroll after scroll seemed to harbor no real solution, which just added to the pressure. And it wasn't helping at all.

Mana began to feel sullen and upset. She slowly put another scroll away and unhurriedly picked and unfurled another one. Isis noticed this. "Mana," she asked, "are you alright?"

Mana just stared back at Isis with sad eyes. "Isis," she began, "he didn't remember me. He didn't believe me." She stared at the floor in despair. "I…I just wish that there was a way to make him see the truth. What if there's no way to get him back?!" She began to cry out.

Mahado looked at Mana. He knew of her close friendship with Atemu, and he felt sorry for her (even though he was still quite displeased that she had used her magic to freeze the guards). "Don't worry," he told Mana. "We'll think of something. And if we cannot think of something, then perhaps we can go to the goddess Ma'at and ask her to let the pharaoh see the truth."

Suddenly, Isis looked up from the scroll she was reading. "The feather…" she said in a daze. "The feather…"

Mahado and Mana looked at her, surprised. "Isis, what is it?" Mahado asked.

"The feather of truth from the goddess Ma'at," Isis began, "is used to reveal what is true and what is false. Perhaps there is a way to use the feather to break the hold of the spell."

Mahado just stared at Isis in disbelief. "Isis, the feather is just a myth, a legend," he replied.

Isis shook her head. "I don't believe it is just a myth any longer," she told Mahado. "I recall seeing the pharaoh holding a feather in her hand after he had left the temple where the gods and goddesses reside. And there was no bird in sight."

"That doesn't mean that the sacred feather exists," Mahado replied. "He could have gotten the feather from anywhere." But then, he paused to think it over. He recalled that the pharaoh had ordered a special box made, a special box surrounded by sacred inscriptions. _No, it possibly couldn't be…_

"Even if it is a sacred feather," Mahado began, "it would be in the pharaoh's possession. How in would we retrieve it?"

Mana just watched the conversation take place. _There's a sacred feather that can reveal the truth?_ she wondered. Then she ran off again in the direction of the pharaoh's royal chamber.

Mahado saw Mana stand up and leave quickly. He tried to stop her before she was gone. "Mana, wait! You can't just run off recklessly like this!" he cried out after her. But she was already gone. He just sighed with disappointment. _Why is it that my best student also tends to be the most unpredictable?_ he thought.


	17. Chapter 17: Encounter

**Chapter 17: Encounter**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahasi. The character of Neferue belongs to me.

* * *

Mana was back in the royal chamber again. The room was empty, with no sign of Atemu and Neferue. She scanned the room quickly, looking for any sign of the feather. But there was none. _If he did leave it in his room_, Mana thought, _he probably wouldn't leave it out into the open. He must have put it somewhere safe. _She headed towards one of the shelves where the feather may possibly be kept.

Suddenly, a sound of approaching footsteps could be heard entering the room. "What are you doing here?" a voice demanded.

Mana turned around to see Atemu blocking the doorway. He didn't look too pleased with her presence.

"You're that misconstrued girl from before," he remarked. "I thought I had you taken away."

Mana could see the dismayed look on Atemu's face; he still failed to recognize her, and he looked as if he was going to call the guards off again. "Ouji-sama, please don't call the guards and send me away again," she pleaded. Her eyes grew soft and sad, and they seemed to beseech the pharaoh to listen what she had to say.

He decided to give her a chance to speak out.

"What I tell you is the truth," she began. "Neferue has befuddled your mind somehow. She's attempting to control you so she can get whatever she wants." She hoped that her words would be enough to convince him.

"How do I know you're telling the truth to me?" he asked in all seriousness. "You once told me that we were the best of friends, yet I do not even know you."

He looked into her eyes, and they seemed to be consistent and held conviction. It made his thoughts waiver about this girl who was standing in front of him. His mind felt as if it was swimming in a sea of doubt and deception.

_His mind is still confused_, Mana thought. _But, perhaps there is a way to show that I am not lying._

"The feather," Mana blurted out. "Isis said that you had a feather with you, a sacred feather of truth."

_A feather?_ he wondered. He walked over to one of the shelves, which was carefully hidden from plain view. From the shelf he removed a box with sacred inscription carved onto it. The inscriptions were designed to protect whatever precious cargo was held inside.

The lid was carefully removed, revealing a soft, white feather, clean and beautiful in appearance.

Mana looked at Atemu, whose eyes became glassy and heartrending. She watched as he picked the feather up carefully with his fingers.

"I…I always wondered why I had this feather with me," he said quietly, with thought. "After I returned to the palace, it seemed that some of my memories have gone missing. Sometimes, I question if my thoughts really belong to me."

He looked at the feather, then at Mana. "If this is indeed the sacred feather of which you speak," he replied, "then it will surely show me the path to the truth."

Then, both Mana and Atemu's ears perked up. Another set of footsteps could be heard, coming towards the direction of the chamber. They were headed there... fast.


	18. Chapter 18: Blindness Removed

**Chapter 18: Blindness Removed**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I own the character of Neferue.

* * *

Atemu and Mana turned to the door, which opened with a venomous creak. Neferue walked right in.

Neferue looked at Mana with her brown eyes. They seemed to hold great anger in them, almost as if a fire was burning inside.

"Why are you here?" Neferue demanded.

"I'm here because you messed around with his thoughts," Mana answered back.

Neferue turned to Atemu. "Atemu, dear, don't listen to her," she said in soothing and loving manner. "She's just trying to confuse you. Do you trust a girl that you don't know, or do you trust your fiancée?"

"Don't believe a word she says!" Mana called out.

Atemu felt himself surrounded by deceit, doubt, and confusion. He wasn't sure as to who to trust anymore. There was Neferue, who he was supposed to marry, who managed to return him back to safety in his kingdom, where he belonged. Then there was this girl, whose appearance he did not recognize, whose name he couldn't remember; she had managed to speak with truth in her soul. But who was the most trustworthy?

Suddenly, he looked at the feather in his hand. _I need to see the truth_, he thought.

With this thought, a light breeze picked up. The feather rose out of his hand and appeared to float on its own. Then, it began to give of a radiant, soft light.

All three were stunned by this spectacular sight.

Then the light from the feather became strong and intense, even almost blinding, such that Atemu, Mana, and Neferue had to shield their eyes.

Atemu could feel the light surrounding him. It felt warm and comforting. The light seemed to vaporize the confusion that surrounded his thoughts. The light seemed to pierce through Neferue's magic veil.

* * *

When the light diminished, he opened his eyes. He found himself standing, just as he was before, but he saw Neferue and Mana lying on the floor, barely conscious.

"Mana!" he cried out in horror. He quickly ran over to her side, bent down and picked her up in his arms. "Mana, Mana, wake up!" he repeated over and over again, with worry.

Finally, she came to. "Ou..Ouji-sama, is that you? The real you?" she asked, almost as if she was in a daze.

"Yes, Mana, it's me," he cooed back to her. He paused to take a look at her, as if wanting o make sure that she was fine. Then with his free hand, he began to stroke her hair in a soft and caring motion.

Mana smiled back at Atemu. She was happy that he remembered her name. She was happy that he remembered who she was. She was happy that he was back, no longer held back by Neferue.

_But what happened to Neferue?_

Mana got up from Atemu's arms to see what befell the princess. Atemu also got up and walked over to Neferue's body on the floor.

Neferue was lying face down. Atemu took his arm to roll her over so that she was lying on her back.

Her face was now pale, almost deathly white. Her hair, which was originally ebony black, silky, and straight, had transformed to become translucent white, tangled, and wiry. Her eyes, which were still open, where no longer a dark, rich brown, but now a dark and shadowy gray.

Atemu stared into her eyes. He recalled the time he looked into her eyes and saw nothing in them. Now, staring into her eyes again, it was as if he saw darkness in her soul, and it greatly disturbed him.

"It almost looks as if she were not human," Mana remarked. The appearance of Neferue reminded her of a ghost.

Suddenly, Neferue stood up. She gave off a pernicious screeching sound, none like which anybody has ever heard. Then, the body of Neferue vaporized into shadow, and she disappeared.


	19. Chapter 19: A Sad Return to Normal

**Chapter 19: Sad Return to Normal**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

* * *

Mana was in the grand hall of the palace, scrubbing the floor. Mahado was watching over her nearby. "I'll be back to check on your progress," he replied before he finally left.

She sighed as she scoured the dusty and dirty limestone floor. This was a punishment for freezing the guards and letting the pharaoh escape. _At least it's better than stable duty_, Mana thought.

Atemu walked by, assisted by guards for protection. He saw Mana scrubbing the floor. He decided to call out to her.

"Mana," he said. "Are you okay?" The memory of Mana lying on the floor nearly unconscious still lingered in his mind.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "I'm just undergoing my punishment for freezing the guards." She gave off a small smile. "The floor was dirty anyway."

He smiled back at her. "At least it's better than doing stable duty," he replied back. He saw a small giggle pass from her lips. He wanted to continue talking to her, but he had to depart.

* * *

Back in the throne room, Atemu sat on his chair, being pestered by a bunch of officials and courtiers of the upper class.

"Due to Neferue's unusual disappearance from the palace, you're going to have to find another princess to marry," one of the courtiers said. "We could go out and find another princess or high class noble girl for you to marry."

"Your highness, it is imperative that you find another girl to marry," another courtier pleaded. "You need a queen to bear an heir to the throne."

Atemu looked at the officials and courtiers surrounding him. He knew he should be concentrating on the issue at hand, but the issue just disturbed him. His mind lingered on Mana. He then turned to the officials and courtiers. "No, not just yet," he replied. "I do not want a queen."

The court seemed to be shocked by his decision. Just recently, it seemed that the pharaoh and Neferue were getting along quite well. They began to assume that the pharaoh was upset that his fiancée was gone.

"Your, highness please," one of the officials went. "This is a perfect time to find a girl to marry. Let us go out and find a suitable wife for you."

But the pharaoh didn't want to hear anymore of it. He had the court dismissed so that he could be alone.

When everyone had gone and left, he raised his arms and buried his head in his hands. He was back in the palace again, where he was obliged to carry out his pharaonic duties, just as he was raised. The thought of it made him want to cringe, and he stared at his shadow that was cast on the palace floor.

He recalled the time at Riyah when he was with Mana in the desert, looking at the stars, just as they had done when they were little. _It was like I was in a dream that time_, he thought to himself.

But now, he was tormented. He felt as if he had woken up from that dream and that the dream was gone. _No, I have merely slipped into a nightmare that seems impossible to escape from._ Now, he was slipping into a depression.

* * *

By the end of the day, Mana had managed to clean up the floor of the grand hall. She massaged her right arm, which was sore from constant scrubbing. All she wanted to do was change clothes and go to bed.

She walked outside to see the stars again, just as she had always done. But, sadly, it was like a normal night, with no Atemu to accompany her that night.

She found herself unable to enjoy the stars of the night. She hated this return to the palace norm. She no longer felt like her bubbly self; her bubbly self was suppressed by an enclosure of sorrow.

Tears began to well in her eyes. _It's not fair_, she thought.

Just then, a soft, white feather drifted down from the sky, and landed right at her feet.


	20. Chapter 20: A Twist of Fate

**Chapter 20: A Twist of Fate**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I do not own the goddess Ma'at, I just borrowed her from Egyptian mythology.

* * *

Mana's attention was grabbed by the falling feather, whose appearance reminded her of the feather that Atemu owned. She looked around to see where the feather might have come from.

A bird descended from the sky in front of her. It was graceful and majestic in appearance. She saw that it was an ibis (a sacred bird in Egyptian culture).

The ibis seemed to motion for her to come closer. She was intrigued by the ibis, so she decided to come closer to the sacred bird to investigate.

Suddenly, the ibis began to give off a soft and luminescent glow. The shape of the ibis began to change into the shape of a human, the shape of a woman. The feathers transformed themselves into a magnificent, colorful dress, the only kind that goddesses were shown to wear. The only thing that remained birdlike was the wings, which were beautifully flowing from her arms.

The figure raised her head up. Mana stared at the figure's face. It was misty and wan, resembling that of the statue of the goddess Ma'at found in the sacred shrine.

Mana found the appearance of the figure awe striking in nature. She was amazed, but at the same time, fearful. The figure just smiled at her softly and sweetly, and then raised her winged arms to the sky to fly.

Mana watched as the figure flew up as high as the birds, freely wavering in the desert winds above the cotton clouds. Mana wished she could fly like that and be free.

As the figure flew away, a strange fog quickly descended onto the Egyptian kingdom. Mana could barely see under the unusual mist. She decided that she had better quickly return to her dormitory located inside the palace where it was safe.

Upon her return to the palace, she saw very servant and palace worker collapsed onto the floor. _Oh no, what happened?_ she wondered. She walked up to one of the fallen workers, only to find him in a deep, sound sleep. _What's going on? _

"Mana?" Atemu's voice called from afar.

She called back out to him so he could become aware of her location.

"Oh, thank Ra that you're alright," Atemu said as he managed to find Mana. "I don't know what happened, but after this strange mist descended onto the kingdom, everyone has fallen asleep. I was afraid that the same thing might have happened to you."

He raised his hand and began to stroke the side of her face. But instead of a loving look from her aquamarine eyes, he saw fear. "Ouji-sama, what if someone is watching us?" she said. "We could both get in trouble if we are seen together."

Just then, a figure stepped out from the shadows to reveal herself. Atemu and Mana stared at this person in front of them. The person had wings where the arms should have been.

It didn't take long to recognize that this person was not really a human at all. It was Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of Truth.


	21. Chapter 21: The Beginning of Every End

**Chapter 21: The Beginning of Every End**

Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I do not own the Egyptian goddess Ma'at.

Atemu and Mana just stared at Ma'at figure in wonder and awe. They almost couldn't believe that their gaze was that upon a great deity of Egypt.

Suddenly, the goddess raised her winged hand, as if she wanted to speak and address the pharaoh.

"I have settled ay mystical mist upon the land, sending everyone into a deep sleep," the goddess said in a numinous manner.

Most certainly, this was obvious by looking around. Everyone was fast asleep, and no one seemed to be in the mood to wake up anytime soon.

Ma'at continued to speak: "This mist will provide cover for you and Mana to escape, pharaoh."

Atemu was surprised by this. He was raised to be a pharaoh, and everywhere, society, culture, and tradition required for him to marry a high class girl. Yet, here, in front of him, a goddess of high and infinite power was telling him to do the opposite.

The shock of it all made him stand still, almost unable to move. Ma'at noticed this. "You do not wish to be with her?" she asked in amazement.

He was quick to defend himself. "No, I wish to be with her," he began, "but I want to know why you are doing this for me."

The goddess smiled back at the pharaoh. "It is only because I want you to be truthful in your soul," she willingly replied. "A soul cannot be true unless it is free, unburdened by a façade."

Then, Ma'at's wings began to glow, a gentle light enshrouding her. When the light vanished, so had she.

Mana was struck by what had happened. She, too, was surprised that a goddess would eagerly use her influence and supremacy to go against the norm of Egyptian society.

"Ouji-sama, what are we going to do?" she asked, almost in a dumbfounded manner.

He grabbed her arm gently and dragged her toward the stables, where the horses lay. Unusually, the horses were not affected by the magic of the mist. "We'll run away again, Mana," he replied, with a hint of glee in his voice.

"But, where?" she asked, with apprehension in her voice. "You were discovered in Riyah. What if someone find you there again?" Her aquamarine eyes were filled with trepidation.

_She fears of losing me again_, he thought. But she is certainly right. _There is a risk in going back to Riyah._ He then looked up to the starry sky. The sky was free, with no boundaries holding it back. _The sky is widespread and infinite_, he thought. _But so is the world. _

He smiled happily at the girl next to him. "The world is a widespread place," he answered with provocative thought. "We'll simply go where are hearts will take us."

Mana had never thought about traveling the world before. She often used to imagine how wonderful life would be like if she had wings to be free in the sky. But, to go where her heart desired was also a sign of great freedom.

She wanted to ask the question: "We can go around the world?" But, her heart manipulated her words. "We…can be free?" she asked.

He smiled back at her, and then raised his hand to lightly stroke her cheek. "Yes, we can be free," he said to her lovingly. He then placed his hands on her waist and raised her up astride the horse.

As the horse sped off to some distant paradise far away, Atemu watched the horizon change around him. Mana, who was sitting behind him, stared to the sky. The sky had a twilight palette, for the sun was beginning to rise again.

Mana bent over slightly to whisper in Atemu's ear. "Tell me," she began. "Do you love me?" she asked.

Atemu reassured her. "Mana, I sincerely do love you. Truthfully, in my soul."

The sun then blazed across the sky. A day has ended, but another one was just about to begin.

_**The End**_

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed it.


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